Precooler for fabric coolers



NOV- 17, 1931- A. O. HURXTHAL PRECOOLER FOR FABRIC COOL-ERS Filed July 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet wif Nov. 17, 1931. A. o. HURXTHAL 1,832,778

PRECOOLER FOR FABRIC GOOLERS /5 I 22 r j 3 m\\\\\\ @mm m@ Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALPHEUS 0. HURXTHAL, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOIR. TO PROCTOR & SCHWARTZ, INCORPORATED, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION 0F PENNSYLVANIA PRECOOLER FOR FABRIC ACOOLERS Application led J'uly 28,

My invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for cooling fabrics, es-l pecially such fabrics that are coated with rubber or other materials.

In coating fabrics with rubber to make what is known as friction fabric, the fabric is heated to about 150; consequently, it is very stickyv The fabric is usually covered with a sheet of material to prevent the two surfaces coming in contact, it ordinarily requiring a number of days to properly dry the fabrlc.

The object of the present invention is to cool the fabric in a very short time, by passing it through a cooling chamber and subjecting it to air that has been previously cooled.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan of a cooling apparatus ilgo lustrating my invention;

Fig. 2 1s a transverse sectional view on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged diagram showing the precooling blanket draped over pipes.

1 is the cooling chamber, at the upper end of which are rollers 2, and at the lower end rollers 3, around which the fabric a passes. The upper rolls are driven by a longitudinal shaft 4 having beveled gears 5 meshing with beveled gear wheels 6 on the spindles of the rolls 2. v`

The fabric is fed into one end of the cooling chamber and passes over the upper rolls and under the lower rolls as shown, it being discharged at one end of the cooler in a comparatively cool condition. K

The cooler is open 'at the upper end as indicated at 7, and has an intake'opening 8 at one side. In front of this intake o ening are baffles 9, which extend between t e runs of the fabric and tend to direct the currents of cool air downwards so as to subject the entire fabric to the action of the cool air, which circulates as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2.

At one side of the cooling chamber is a precoolin chamber 10, and in this precool- 1ng cham er are arranged a series of pip'es 11 connected to a cold watersupply pipe 12. The pipes 11 are perforated at the upper o edge as shown in the enlarged view Fig. 3,

1927. Serial No. 209,157.

and suspendedl from these pipes is a blanket 13 which passes around the upper pipes, while in the loops of the blanket are plain pipes 14. These pipes may be suspended from the loops in the blanket or may be held insuitable. bearings.

Extending under this precooling medium is a drip pan 15 which catches any water which drips from the blanket. I have used the term blanket to indicate any suitable material which will hold water, such as heavy burlap or other fabric. By allowing the water to pass throughthe openings in the pipes 11, the blanket is saturated at all times, and the air passes through the spaces between the loops of the fabric.

In the present instance, 16 is an air inlet duct which opens into the precooling chamber 10, and the air passes through an opening 17 in which is a screen 18. 19 is a horizontal partition, in which there are a number of circulating fans 20 mounted on vertical shafts 21 which are driven through gearing on a longitudinal shaft 22.

These circulating fans draw the air through the intake duct 16 and through the spaces between the folds lof the blanket, as well as through the screen, discharging the precooled air into the lower portion of the cooling chamber l. The air passes in an upward dil rection through the chamber and is discharged at the' upper end, it being carried through the upper portion 23 of the room in whichl the apparatus is located and out through openings 24 in the walls.

While I have shown the circulating fans in a given position and mounted onf-vertical shafts, they may be otherwise arranged without departing from the main features of the invention.

I claim:

1. The combination of a chamber having a series of transverse pipes at its upper end, said pipes being perforated to allow water to escape; a blanket in and extending longitudinally of said chamber and suspended from the pipes in a series of loops so as to form a series of passages for a current of air passing transversel through the chamber and across the blanket; and power-actuated 100 means for causing the air to pass through said passagesfransversely of said blanket.

2. VThe com ination of a chamber having a series of perforated pipes at its upper end to allow for the escape of cooling water; a blanket in and extending longitudinally of said chamber and suspended from the pipes in a series of loops; a series of loose bars within the loops of the blanket; and poweractuated means for causing air to pass transversely of the chamber and across the blanket through the passages formed by said loops.

3.` The combination in cooling apparatus for fabrics, of a cooling chamber; means for suspending the fabric, to be cooled, in the form of loops; a pre-cooling chamber at one side of the cooling chamber, a series of per` forated parallel pipes extending transversely of said pre-cooling chamber,a blanket hung in loo s on said perforated pipes and adapted to be saturated with water flowing from said pipes for cooling air as it passes transversely through the said chamber and across said blanket to the cooling chamber; and a vseries of fans located between the two chambers for drawing air through the pre-cooling chamber and forcing it through the c001- ing chamber.

4. The combination in cooling apparatus for fabrics, of a cooling chamber; `means for suspending the fabric, to be cooled, in the form of loops; a pre-cooling chamber at one side of the cooling chamber and having means therein for cooling air as is passes through the said chamber to the cooling chamber; a series of fans located between the two chambers for drawing air through the pre-cooling, chamber and forcing it through the cooling chamber; and a series ofbaiiles extending between the loops of fabric in the cooling chamber.l said baffles directing the air downwards as it is forced into the cooling chamber, said chamber being open at its upper end for the escape of air.

ALPHEUS Q. HURXTHAL. 

